1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of antenna system design and, more particularly, to an antenna system and antenna element array signal processing method in which signals from a plurality of antenna elements formed in an array are processed to provide a considerable improvement in side lobe performance.
2. Discussion of Relevant Art
Automatic angle tracking of targets has been of interest to the technical community for many decades. Automatic tracking is one of the primary considerations in the reception of telemetry data from airborne vehicles today. The vehicles may be a polar orbiting satellite, a geosynchronous satellite, an airplane, or a spin-stabilized rocket, etc.
A number of types of reflector antennas are known which are typically employed for angle tracking. Various techniques of generating offset beams for reflector antennas, for example, sequential lobing, conical scanning, and single channel monopulse, have proven to be acceptable, cost effective means of automatic tracking of targets. The methods utilized in the past are summarized below: